'UIC will not be magnificent or grand': OPRF to keep graduation ceremony in Oak Park

Jon Langham/Pioneer Press

Oak Park and River Forest High School held its 142nd Commencement on June 3, 2018. The OPRF school board voted down a proposal that would have moved the 2019 graduation ceremony indoors and off campus.

Oak Park and River Forest High School held its 142nd Commencement on June 3, 2018. The OPRF school board voted down a proposal that would have moved the 2019 graduation ceremony indoors and off campus. (Jon Langham/Pioneer Press)

After studying the option of moving its graduation ceremony indoors and off campus, the Oak Park and River Forest High School board said it will keep the event at the school’s outdoor football stadium.

Citing accessibility and ticket issues, administrators reached out to the University of Illinois at Chicago to discuss holding the June 2, 2019, commencement ceremony at the UIC Pavilion Arena. The proposal was first presented to school board members on Oct. 16.

Following a lengthy public comment period and board discussion Oct. 25, board members unanimously voted against approving a contract with UIC, and said the ceremony would continue to be held inside the OPRF football stadium.

“I do have concerns about some of our elderly family members and disabled people sitting out in the hot sun,” board member Jennifer Cassell said. “I do worry about weather and what’s going to happen if there is rain. Based on what I heard from the public, that is a chance people are willing to take. At this point, I don’t support moving forward with the venue change.”

Board member Fred Arkin, an OPRF graduate, felt moving the ceremony to UIC would take away from the “magnificent celebration” the community is accustomed to every summer.

“There’s no foundation or background data to make this decision,” Arkin said. “No alternative solutions have been explored. UIC will not be magnificent or grand. It will be just another high school graduating in their rented facility. We in the OPRF community take pride in our traditions. We should not be so cavalier to dismiss them so readily.”

Arkin also felt the move would hurt the local business community, which caters to visiting families throughout graduation weekend.

According to administrators, the UIC Pavilion holds 9,500 spectators, which would have allowed students to have more than the five graduation tickets students are currently allotted.

Opponents of the move, however, said more seating could easily be added on the field at the high school’s football stadium, as most guests are currently confined to the bleachers.

“There is an abundance of space on the football field,” student Nico Gonzalez-Stuver said. “Some just don’t need [five tickets]. Many said they only need two or three, and the extra tickets should go to other families. All these changes to the ceremony seem to be a quick fix without listening to other solutions. At the end of the day, this is our high school graduation, so we deserve to be heard in the matter.”

OPRF alum Kim Neppel also spoke in favor of keeping the ceremony in Oak Park, saying it means more for students to graduate at the school they’ve attended rather than a venue in the city of Chicago.

“As a community member and parent, I chose to come back to OPRF for one reason,” Neppel said. “It’s that tradition and pride that I feel about standing on that field and not at UIC. That means nothing to me and nothing to those children.”

Parent Monique Gunn spoke in favor of the change, saying the extra space at UIC and the indoor venue would be a welcome change for students with larger families.

“Last year was the most stressful experience in trying to make sure my daughter had a very memorable experience and [make sure] those who loved her [were] around,” Gunn said. “It created stress because of the limited amount of tickets. I have a brother who was determined to travel all the way from Colorado. I was not going to stop him from coming. My stressor was making sure he got into graduation. If it’s at UIC, anyone’s family can come. If it’s here, it’s very limited. The thing about preserving tradition, while it’s respected, it shouldn’t crush another person’s memory.”

The contract with UIC would have cost the district $12,500 to rent the facility and $18,890 for use of UIC staff. The $31,390 total contract would have netted the district a cost savings of about $16,280 when compared to hosting the event on campus, officials said.